These are the hottest headphones for the holidays

Sony, Bose, Beats and Monster lead category heading into holidays

By

DanGallagher

Beats Electronics

Slide 1 of 10

Beats Executive

Suggested retail price: $299

Headphones are a surging business, driven by growing sales of portable media gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and music players. And high-end models branded with celebrity endorsements are one of the fastest growing segments of the business. The pioneer in the celebrity-endorsed, high-end category, Beats Electronics has rapidly taken its partnership with rapper/composer Dr. Dre to a top slot in the market since the launch of the company’s first line of headphones in 2008. The Executive line represents the brand attempting to stretch out its appeal to a new class of customers who may have been turned off by the bright, stand-out color and design of the flagship Studio series. The Executives fold into a flat case — which fits neatly into a briefcase. Read: High-end headphones keep up growth

Sony Electronics

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Sony X Headphone Series

Suggested retail price: $299

Sony Corp., already one of the world’s largest sellers of headphones, got into the celebrity-endorsement/fashion segment in September with a partnership with TV star and music producer Simon Cowell to launch the X Headphones. David Johns, Sony’s product marketing manager for headphones, told MarketWatch that while the company has a strong position overall, “we haven’t been keeping up with the trend in fashion” set by rival brands such as Beats by Dre. “We decided we were missing out on a growing piece of the headphone market,” he said.

Monster Cable Products, Inc.

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Monster Diamond Tears and Monster Inspiration

Suggested retail price: $299

The original manufacturing partner for the Beats by Dre line, Monster Cable has carved out its own niche in the high-end headphone space since the partnership ended earlier this year. According to NPD, it remains one of the top brands in the above-$100 category, and most recently cut a deal with apparel designer Diesel for a line of headphone products called Vektr.

Skullcandy

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Skullcandy Aviator Customizable Series

Suggested starting retail price: $179

The only pure-play headphone company that is publicly traded, Skullcandy
SKUL, +1.11%
is a major player in the broader category, but only began pushing hard into the high-end segment last year. The stock has taken a beating over the last three months, particularly after its third-quarter report that included a weaker forecast in which the firm warned of a “mix shift toward higher-priced, lower margin products.” But Andrew Burns of D.A. Davidson wrote earlier this week that the headphone business looks strong heading into the holiday, and that Skullcandy “remains a top headphone brand and consumer interest in the category is strong.” The company’s Aviator line allows consumers to chose different colors for the various components.

Bose

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Bose Quiet Comfort 15 series

Suggested retail price: $299

Bose benefitted early on from its association with Apple Inc.
AAPL, -0.87%
and the company’s iconic iPod and later iPhone, which helped give it prominent placement of its headphone and speaker products in Apple’s stores. But this Farmington, Mass., company has long been known for its audio technology, and has been able to retain a strong position in the high-end headphone market despite the onslaught of celebrity-endorsed, fashion-based rivals. In fact, NPD estimates that Bose held on to the No. 2 slot in the above-$100 segment for the 12-month period ended Sept. 31 — both in terms of unit sales and dollar share. The firm’s Quiet Comfort 15 series is the latest in its line of noise-cancelling headphones.

Sennheiser

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Sennheiser RS 180 Digital Wireless Headphone System

Suggested retail price: $299

Another brand long popular with audiophiles, Sennheiser has also held on to a top-5 slot in the high-end market against newer competitors. The RS 180 is one of its newer lines that operates with a wireless receiver. Ben Arnold of NPD says wireless headphones appear to be selling strong early in the holiday season.

House of Marley

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House of Marley ‘Rise Up’ series

Suggested retail price: $159

Taking a unique spin on the celebrity-endorsed line, the family of the late Bob Marley moved into the headphone market last year with a wide line of products that use sustainable, recycled materials. The company recently got its Rise Up series featured on Apple’s online store as well, along with the higher-end TTR Desiny line that starts at $299. Rohan Marley told MarketWatch earlier this year that the company had been approached by other headphone producers in the past “who wanted to stamp our name on something” but that the family didn’t feel those proposals met the standards of the Marley image. Read: Headphone makers battle over form and function.

Soul Electronics

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Soul by Ludacris SL150CB

Suggested retail price: $199

Following the example set by Dr Dre, rapper Ludacris launched his own branded headphone products under the Soul Electronics imprint last year. NPD reports that the line is generating some strong sales this holiday season, including the SL150CB model. Bob Bonefant, who runs the brand, told MarketWatch earlier this year that the hip-hop artist “just wasn’t impressed with the products out there” when he decided to get into the business. Read: Headphone makers battle over form and function.

Logic3

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Ferrari Cavallino T350 and Scuderia R300

Suggested retail price: $346-$477

One of the more recent entries into the market, British electronics maker Logic3 entered a partnership with the famed Italian car maker to come up with a line of Ferrari-branded headphones that are launching on the market this fall, though availability is currently limited to the Ferrari.com website.

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